Improvement in shifting-seats for vehicles



2 SheetsnSheet i.

Shifting Seats for Vehicles. N0 ]5|,405. Patented May26,i874.

2 Sheets--Sheet 2.

W. M. KNAPP. iftng Seats for Vehi clas.

Patented May 26,1874.

i /lAlll L I 111ML lumnums pri-@mn UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

WILLIAM M. KNAIP, 0F MUNUIIC, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN SHIFTING-SEATS FOR VEHICLES.

SIJ'lIIUU forming lill'l UfLltti'rH Patent No. l 5l ,405, dated May 2li, 1F74; applieation tiled November 28, N73.

To all `whom `it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. liNMi. of Muncie, in the oounty of Delaware and State of Indiana, have invented Certain new and ii ifiil Improvements in Shifting-Seat Bug'- e'ies; aml I do hereby declare that the following is a full, Clear, and exaet description thereof, refereiiee being had to the acei'inipanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which forni a part of this specification.

My invention relates to that class of vehieles which are convertible at will into a doiible-seat carriage or single-seat buggy, and the nature ot' my invention consists especially in the devices for supporting and operatingl the main seat; also, in devices for locking' the said seat tirmly in any desired position, and for limiting the movement of the said seat and permitting; its detaehnient, it' necessary. It also consists iii a device for prevmiting water, dust, or niiid from passing' in from behind under the seat when the vehicle is used as a single-seat buggy, thereby keeping the front seat and bottom ot' body clean. And it also consists in the mode of :'iipplyiiii.; and opeiat ing the secondary or front seat, which may be set in three ditferent positions; and also in certain details in the construction ot' the supports, backs, and arnrrests of said seat, all of which will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which niy invention appertains to make and use the saine, I will now proceed to deseribe its construction and operation, referring to the annexed drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view ot' the same. Fie: 2 is a Central section on line .r ai, Fie'. l. Iiie. T is a bottom-side up view of seiit U. lii' lis a bottom-side up view ot' seat ll. Fie. [i is a plan view, showing seat (l only. Fie'. ti is a central seetion, showing seat C protected by seat B. Fig. 7 is a section through line lr/ i', Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a plan viewof forked bar El.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of forked bar hl. Fig. 10 is a detail view of the llanged eene, eountersunk eye, serewdiolt, and thiiinb-nut. Iiig. ll is a detail section of scat l, showingy dovetail, &c. Fig'. l2 is a detail view of lee I, showing' its adjustment on body A.

A represents the bed or body ot' the vehiele. Il and U are the two seats. One of the objections to other vehieles of this elass is that on the inside ot` the body there have always been mor(l or less of proiectioiis of varions kinds, which are apt to eateh ladies dresses, hoops, de., and tear or otherwise iniiire the same. Vln the construction of my veliiele I form` the interior of the sides of the body A perfectly smooth and even, without' projections olI any kind, so that in gettinel in or out of the vehicle there is nothing;` iipon which ladies garments ean possibly eatch. In the upper edges of the sides oi' the body A are formed dovetailed grooves ri (i, along.;l the outer sides, as shown. These `e'rooves may be foi-mcd ot' sheet or other metal, and attai'lied in :i rabbet along the top of the sides, or in any other suitable or eoir venient manner, so that the baek or rear ot the body may be pant-hid in forming; light box, and being; ot shape to forni niiter with the panel, thereby preventingy the panel from drawing;` up troni the sides of the body. L l represent the seat-raisers, tirnil Y attached iii any suitablemanner to the under side of the seat I3. To the under sides of the seatraise at eaeh end of the seat, is attached :t ilovetiiiled or otherwise siiitably-shaped slide, b, to fit anil move in the grooves ii a on the sides of the body A. Eaoh of these slides Ii is slotted in the center for the passage ot' a` hook or eateh, L', which is shaped similarly to the slides, and attached to or formed upon the outer end of a bar, I). The inner ends of the two bars I) I) form screw-rods, which pass through eyes or loops formed on the under side of a lever, E, and fastened to the same by means ot' nuts .r .1', which can be easily adiiisted to the reduirinl length. The lever l is pivoted to the under side ot' the seat [3, and the arms l) I) eoiiiieet with the lever, one on eaeh side of the pi\'otpoiiit; hence, by turning;` the lever 1'] to one side, the two hooks or catches b ii are drawn inward and downward, and by turning the lever to the other side the hooks or eatelies are forced np 'ard and outward. .In the former ease the seat is held rigidly to the earriaee-bialy at whatever point it may be situated, and in the latter case the seat is loosened anil may be moved back or forth as desired. vln the '/.ontally-forked ends of a bar, M, and this bar provided on its under side in the center with the T-shaped pin placed in a slotted plate in the eenterof the seat. 0n the upper side ot' the bar M at each end is a spring, mf, with a pin, i', to enter corresponding holes in the pivoted ends of the bars L to lock the same. ln this case eitherI back may be re versed imlependent of the other, or both be reversed at one time. \Vhen the bar lll is used the cushion N should be attached to it so as to turn also when the bar is turned. ly means of the hinges connecting the legs G with the sills of the body, the front seat may be taken out without the use of tools. The washers used have one straight side to tit on a tlat part of the bolt to prevent the nut from turning otl' when the seat is shifted. The folding legs l l are provided with a brace, ir, which supports the joint, and forms a foot for the seat C when under the seat B or when used as a ehilds seat. `The bar L L may be provided with lugs y', which tit in holes in the plates a" to keep the seatbacks in position, thereby dispensing` with the spring-catches h.

I do not claim, broadly, a carriage with a sliding` main seat, and a movable second seat adjustable iu three positions, so as to be used as a ehilds seat or driving seat, or disused enentirely, as VI am aware such carriages have been made before.

I am. aware that a. lat has been made to `slide on rails or bars ot metal attached to the body or sides of the carriage, but these were exposed to View from the top and sides more than in my invention, and none were dovetailed grooves or slides, by the use of which I obtain a perfectly secure slide, as it cannot possibly get out of the grooves. This manner ot' attaching seats prevents niarring any of the outside surfaces of the body in the least, as the seat passes clear of the body` allowing the back or deck to be closed in, and, in connection with. the strip et' rubber or other suitable material, form a perfectly tight box at the rear end of the body.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters latent, is-

1. The combination ot' the catches Ji b, arms l) D, with nuts .1' .r, rubber 'ashers 1/ f/,

lever E, spring (I, lug E, and rack-bar f, all constructed substantially as and for the pur poses set forth.

2. The lever E, for operating the fastening device l'or a carriage-seat, the lever being made in two parts to slide one upon the other, as described, and for the purposes set forth.

The elastic strip k on the front edge of the deck-panel of body A, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination with the seat-leg l and carriage-body A, ofthe cone nt with screwbolt n,eountersunk eye p, and thumb-muti'1 substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. The slotted L-shaped slide t, in combination with the hinges described for connecting the leg (l, and seat Cf, as and for the purpose specified.

o'. The hinged legs l 1, provided with teeth `n and claws ui, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7. In combination with the seat (l and earriage-body A, hinged legs 1, for supporting the seat upon and locking it to the body, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination et' the hinged legs l l, constructed as described, the connecting-rods 1) 1)', lever E', spring d, lug e, and raclebar f', all substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

9. The barksupporting bars L, provided with T-shaped pins s, in combination with the slotted plates a and lugs y', for the purposes set forth.

10. rlhe spring-catches l' on the seat C, to operate in combination with the bars L, all combined substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

1l. The connectinglbar M for connecting the bars L L, so that the cushion and both backs may be reversed by one movement, as set forth.

In testimony that l claim the foregoing as my own l al'lix my signature in presence of two witnesses. 

